US2286099A - Pipe tongs - Google Patents

Description

June 9, 119.42; P. w. LANGE ErAL PIPEA TONGS Hmmfmnm Nw@ @du Filed Nov. 9,- 1959 e y Jarolm'aran y www", vf

Patented June 9, 1942 'untreu STATES UFFICE PEPE TONGS Paul W. Lange and Harold A. McFarland,

Casper, Wyo.

11 Claims.

This invention relates to locking pipe tongs.

An object of the invention is the provision of a pair of quick-locking pipe tongs which have a positive gripping action on the pipe after the jaws have encircled and have become automatically locked to the pipe with means for quickly releasing the jaws when desired.

Another object of the invention is the pro` vision of a pair of quick-locking pipe tongs which are automatically set in operative relation with a pipe when the pipe is moved in between pairs of the jaws, the free ends of the jaws having interlocking means for retaining the jaws in position after they have been moved into an encircling relation when the pipe has been inserted between the jaws, the jaws at no time being so wedged on the pipe that they cannot be readily released when desired.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a pair of pipe tongs having jaws which are caused to be automatically moved into perative position when a pipe is inserted between the jaws, the jaws having a large surface for effectively holding the pipe while preventing the pipe from being flattened, a tripping lever being employed for immediately releasing the grip of the jaws on the pipe.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications as define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view oi a pair of tongs in open position and constructed in accordance with the principles of our invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the tongs showing the jaws in operative relation on a pipe,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal end view,

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 5 5 of Figure l, and

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 5--6 of Figure l.

Figure '1 is a transverse section through a cylinder secured to one of the jaws of the tongs.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I0 designates 4a handle having a head portion `II and this head portion is provided with ,projections I2 and I3. Between the pair of projections is a substantially V-shaped cut-out portion I4.

A pair of levers I5 are located upon opposite sides of the head II and are pivotally mounted on a pin I6 carried by the projection I3. This pin may be held in place by means of a Cotter pin I1 or by a nut threaded onto the end of the pin. The levers extend rearwardly and have `their free ends I8 terminating at points adjacent the projection I2.

A movable jaw 20 is pivotally mounted on the pin I6 and has a pair of legs 2| straddling the levers I5 and the projection I3. These legs are in flat contact with the outer faces of the levers I5, as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 2. The inner face of the jaw 20 is provided with a vtoothed portion 22 which is dove-tailed into the body of the jaw and is adapted to engage the pipe to prevent the jaw from slipping on the pipe. The member 22 is replaceable.

The outer end of the jaw 23 is bifurcated to form a pair of legs 23, which straddle a second jaw 24. A pin 25 pivotally connects the jaw 24 with the outer free end of the jaw 2). It will be noted from Fig. 4 that the jaw 24 is provided with a pair of legs 26 which are located inwardly of the legs 23. The outer free end of the jaw 24 is provided with a pair of curved ngers 21 vfor a purpose which will be presently explained.

To the inner end of the jaw 20 and at one side thereof is secured a tripping finger 30 which eX- tends laterally inwardly from the jaw. A second tripping linger 3I is secured to one side of the jaw 24 and this linger also extends laterally inwardly from the inner end of the jaw for a purpose which will be presently explained.

A jaw 35 is provided with a pair of legs 3S which are pivotally mounted on a pin 31 carried by the levers I5. The inner faces of the legs 36 are in flat Contact with the outer faces of said levers. This jaw is also provided witha toothed plate 38 which is removably dove-tailed in the inner face of the jaw 35 and cooperates with the toothed plate 22 for aiding in holding the pipe against slippage when the tongs are operated. v

A second or auxiliary jaw 4I] has legs 4I which are pivotally mounted on a pin 42 carried by the outer reduced end 43 of the jaw 35. The legs 4I are in contact with the opposite faces of the reduced portion 43 of the jaw 35.

The outer end of thejaw 40 is also provided with a pair of spaced legs 45 and these legs are pin 48.

The pin 63, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6, is provided with an annular groove 49 which is adapted to receive a spring 55 located in each of the openings 4S and 41. The spring 5i) maintains the pin 48 against displacement during the operation of the tongs.

On one face of the jaw 45 and on the outer face of one of the legs 45 of the said jaw is formed a cam member 5I which is adapted to engage the under surface of a handle 52 connected with the pin 48 so that when the pin is turned by means of the handle the cam member will force the pin outwardly and release it from the spring 5U.

The pin 48 is adapted to be engaged by the curved ngers 2'! on the jaws 24 when the jaws are in locked position around the pipe. The pin is placed within the openings 46 when the jaws of the tongs are adapted to engage around the pipe and when the jaws are adapted to engage the collar of the pipe said pin is placed in the openings 41.

A handle 52 is secured to the jaw 4G and may be gripped by the hand for pulling the jaw away from the pipe when the pin 8 has been released from the curved nger 21..

A bell-crank 55 is provided with a handle 55 and a pair of legs 53 .straddling the projection I2 on the handle il). These legs are pivotally mounted on a pin 59 carried by the projection I2. A pair of arms 65 project lat right angles from the inner ends of the legs 58 and are rigidly connected thereto. Each arm E carries a pin 6I upon which is mounted a roller 62 adapted to engage the levers I for oscillating the levers so that one of the levers will be moved into engagement with a stop t3 formed on one face of the head II. After the tongs have been operated and when the lever '55 and the levers I5 move to the positions shown in Fig. 2, the jaws will be held against displacement. It will be noted that the projection I2 is provided with an arcuate slot 64 through which the pin 6I moves.

A pin 65 is connected to one of the levers I5 and is in a position to engage the -outer edges of the legs of the jaw 35 to limit the inward movement of the jaw.

A cylinder "I5 is secured within a pocket formed in the jaw 35 and is secured to the legs in any approved manner. This cylinder has a reduced portion 'II projecting outwardly from the legs and towards the projection I2 -on the head po-rtion II of the handle I0. The outer end of the portion 'II of the cylinder 'I0 is provided with an inturned flange 'I2 adapted to receive a reduced portion 13 of a piston 'I4 which is slidably mounted in the reduced portion. 'IVI of the cylinder '10. A head 'I5 is located on the outer end of the piston 'I4 and is provided with an annular 'ange 'I6 which is adapted to engage the ange 'I2 on the cylinder 1i) to limit the inward movement of the piston. An annular shoulder 'I'I on the piston 14 engages the flange l2 on the -cylinder 'I for limiting the outward movement of the piston. A coil spring 'I8 is located within the cylinder 'I0 and has one end engaging the inner end of the piston 'I4 while the opposite end engages a closed end 'I9 of the cylinder. The spring tends at all times to force the piston outwardly from the cylinder.

A cam member 85 formed on the end of the bell-crank 55 is adapted to engage the head 'I5 of the piston or plunger 'i4 for forcing the jaws 3S and 4I] inwardly towards the respective jaws 20 and 24 when the bell crank 55 is oscillated. Oscillation of the bell crank causes the cam member 8) to move over the head 'I5 of the piston 14, thereby causing the jaw 35 and likewise 40 to be moved towards the jaw 20 as will be presently explained.

The operation of the device is as follows: The jaws of the tongs shown in Fig. l are in open position and are ready to receive a pipe 8I. As the tongs are moved towards the pipe the placing the tongs in operative position on the pipe the member SI will be engaged by the pipe whereby the jaw 24 will be moved inwardly towards the j'aw 4). Continued movement of the tongs will cause the member 30 to come in contact with the pipe whereby the jaw 'Z0 will be .moved inwardly. The jaws 35 and It are then moved upwardly towards the pipe and since the jaw Z has been moved inwardly the ngers 21 will be in a position to be engaged by the pin 48 which is in the openings 126 in the legs at the outer end of the jaw d.

The bell crank is then rocked in the direction indicated by the Iarrow in Fig. l whereby the rollers B2 will engage the levers I5 at each side of the head II and moves the said lever in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l and one of the levers engages the stop 63 at one side of the head.

At this time the arm of the bell crank will be in a horizontal position while the horizontal axis of the rollers 62 will be in substantially vertical alignment with the axis of the pivot of the bell crank.

When the pin 4% is in the passages 4S in the spaded legs 5 of the jaw 40 the cam A80 will be in close association with the head 'I5 of the plunger 'I4 as shown in Fig. 2 but will not act on said head for retaining the jaws in operative relation with the pipe 8l. However, when the pin 48 is located in the passages 41 in the legs 45 of the jaw 4) the cam 8i! will engage the head 'l5 and force the plunger towards the inner end of the cylinder 'ill against the tension of the spring 78, so that when the bell crank is in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 the cam will exert pressure on the plunger for maintaining the jaws 35 and '45 in a firmer gripping relation with the collar of a drill string. In other words, when the tongs are applied to an article of greater diameter than the pipe BI the pin 48 is placed inthe opening i? and the plunger I4 in con-nection with the cfarn member 8l] cooperates for maintaining the jaws in a tighter gripping relation with the collar or other element 4so that the toothed plate 3.8 will be urged in contact with the outer surface of the collar .and prevent the tongs from .falling away from the collar when power has been released from the handle I0.

It will be seen .by this construction that pipes or collars of diierent diameters may be rmly gripped by the same pair of tongs by the ladjustment of .the pin S2 in either of the openings :46 -or 4'! at the outer end of .the jaw 453. The oscillation of the handle of the bell crank 55 -in the direction indicated in Fig. 1 causes rocking of the lever i5 in the direction indicated by the arrow whereby a pull will be exerted on the jaws 3'5 and 4t2 until one of the levers 55 engages a stop I63.

When the bell crank lever :55 has been swung from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2 it will be recognized that the roller 62 will tend to hold the lever I5 lagainst the stop 63. When the handle I0 is moved counter-clockwise and is in the position shown in the drawing the lever I5 will tend to ,rotate in the same direction as forced by the roller 62 on the locking lever 55. This tends to exert a pull on the gripping jaw 35 `which is connected to the lever l by the pin 31. At the time that the lever 55 is moved to its set position the cam member 80 engages the head 19 of the piston 14 and compresses the spring 18. The force thus created tends to urge the gripping jaw in a gripping operation and also pulls this jaw to impart a pull on the lever I5. This will place the entire gripping jawV structure with the latch members under yieldable tension around the pipe. It will be recognized that lack of uniformity in the diameter of the pipe might cause a slight amount of lost motion between the roller 62, the lever l5 and the stop 63 when the structure is latched. vThis lost motion will be taken up automatically by the action of the cam 80, the piston 14 and the spring 18. This is a point of considerable importance since in cases where the movement of the roller 62 did not tightly bind the gripping members around the pipe before a pull is taken on the handle Ill the tongs would tend to slip down on the pipe, but when the piston 1d and the spring 18 are provided these members will maintain the gripping jaws and the latch members in a tightly wrapped position around the pipe at all times, and will prevent the tongs from slipping down during the period when no pull is being exerted on the handle Ill.

Rocking of the handle lil will cause all of the jaws to bind firmly on the pipe 3l so that the pipe may be turned.

When it is desired to remove the tongs from the pipe it is only necessary to swing the lever outwardly away from the handle l0, whereby the levers l5 will be released and the jaws will likewise be released from rigid contact with the pipe. The curved fingers 21 may then be removed from the pin 58.

When the pin 4B is in the openings 41 of the jaw 4S the cam 8l! will be removed from its engagement with the head of the plunger 14 for further releasing the jaws when the bell crank is moved outwardly from the handle l0 and to the position in Fig. l.

From the foregoing disclosure it will thus be seen that the tongs are simple in their construction,A rmay' be latched in position easily, and thereafter quickly set in a gripping position. It will furthermore be recognized that due to the yieldable element interposed in the combination of levers and jaws, the jaws when disposed in an embracing position around a pipe will be held' yieldalcly in this position to maintain the tongs in a desired horizontal plane of operation.

We claim:

1. Pipe tongs comprising a handle, a pair of levers and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the handle, a second main jaw having pivotal connections with the levers inwardly of the first pivotal connection, an auxiliary jaw pivotally connected to the free end of the first-mentioned jaw and provided with curved lingers at the free end thereof, a second auxiliary jaw pivoted on the free end of the second main jaw and provided with a pin adapted to be received by the curved fingers, a stop on the handle adapted to be engaged by the free end of the lever, and means on the handle for forcing one of the levers against the stop for causing the jaws to tightly grip the pipe.

2. Pipe tongs comprising a handle, a pair of levers and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the handle, a second main jaw having pivotal connections with vthe levers inwardly of the rst pivotal connection, an auxiliary jaw pivotally connected to the free end of the rst-mentioned jaw and provided with curved fingers at the free end thereof, a second auxiliary jaw pivoted on the free end of the second main jaw and provided With a pin adapted to be received by the curved fingers, a stop on the handle adapted to be engagedby the free end of the lever, tripping fingers projecting inwardly from a main jaw and from an auxiliary jaw adapted to be engaged successively by a pipe for causing said jaws to be moved into operative relation with said pipe, and means on the handle for forcing one of the levers against the stop for causing the jaws to tightly grip the pipe.

3.'Pipe tongs comprising a handle, a pair of levers and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of .the handle, a second main jaw having pivotal connections with'the levers inwardly of the first pivotal connection, an auxiliary jaw pivotally connected to the free end of the rst mentioned jaw and. provided with curved fingers at the free end thereof, a second auxiliary jaw pivoted on the free end of the second main jaw and provided with a pin adapted to be received by the curved fingers, and means for causing oscillation of the levers for drawing the jaws tight around the pipe.

4. Pipe tongs comprising a handle, a pair of levers and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with' one end of the handle, a second main jaw having pivotal connections with the levers inwardly of the first pivotal connection, an auxiliary jaw pivotally connected to the free end of the iirst-mentioned jaw and provided with curved ngers at the free end thereof, a second auxiliary jaw pivoted on the free end of the second jaw and provided with a pin adapted to be received by the curved ngers, and means for oscillating the levers and locking the levers in an operative position after the jaws have been tightened on the pipe by said levers.

5. Pipe tongs comprising a handle, a pair of levers and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the handle, a second main jaw having pivotal connection with the levers inwardly of the first pivotal connection, an auxiliary jaw pivotally connected to the free end of the first mentioned jaw and provided with curved iingers at the free end thereof, a second auxiliary jaw pivoted on the free end of the second main jaw and provided with a pin adapted to be received by the curved fingers, and a bell crank pivotally mounted on the handle having a short arm pro--A vided with rollers engageable with the levers for moving said levers to an operative position to draw the jaws tight around the pipe, and a long arm included in the bell crank for oscillating the bell crank.

6. Pipe tongs comprising a handle, a pair of levers and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the handle, a second main jaw having pivotal connections with the levers inwardly of the first pivotal connection, an auxiliary jaw pivotally connected to the free end of the first mentioned jaw and provided with curved ngers at the free end thereof, a second auxiliary jaw pivoted on the free end of the second main jaw and provided with a pin adapted to be received by the curved nngers, a stop on the handle adapted to be engaged by the free end of the lever, and means on the handle for forcing one of the levers against the stop for causing the jaws to tightly grip the pipe, the second auxiliary jaw having a plurality of passages to receive the pins so that the jaws may be used on pipes of different diameters.

7. VPipe tongs comprising a handle, a pair of levers and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the handle, a second main jaw having pivotal connections with the levers inwardly of the rst pivotal connection, an auxiliary jaw pivotally connected to the free end of the first mentioned jaw and provided with curved fingers at the free end thereof, a second auxiliary jaw pivoted on the free end of the second main jaw and provided with a pin adapted to be received by the curved fingers, a stop on the handle adapted to be engaged by the free end of the lever, means on the handle for forcing one of the levers against the stop for causing the jaws to tightly grip the pipe, the second auxiliary jaw having a plurality of passages to receive the pins so that the jaws may be used on pipes of diierent diameters, and means for removably retaining the pin in the passage.

8. Pipe tongs comprising an operating handle, a lever and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the Y handle, a second main jaw having pivotal connection at one end with the lever, an auxiliary jaw connected with the free end of each main jaw, cooperating means on the free ends of the auxiliary jaws for removably connecting the auxo iliary jaws together, a manually operable lever pivoted at one end on the handle and provided with a cam, a plunger mounted on the second main jaw, a spring forcing said plunger towards the cam so that when the jaws are engaged around a collar on a pipe and the second lever is rocked to cause the cam to engage the plunger, said cam will exert a pressure on the plunger and maintain the jaws into tight gripping relation with the collar, and means on the second lever for causing rocking of the first-lever for aiding in drawing the jaws tight around the collar.

9. Pipe tongs comprising an operating handle,

a lever and a clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the handle, a second clamping jaw having pivotal connections at one end with the lever, cooperating means on the free ends of the jaws for removably connecting the jaws together around a pipe, a manually operable lever pivoted at one end of the handle and -provided with a cam, a plunger mounted on the second jaw, a spring forcing said plunger towards the cam so that when the jaws are engaged around the pipe and the second lever is rocked the cam will exert pressure on the plunger and maintain the jaws in gripping relation with the pipe, and means on the second lever for causing rocking of the first lever for aiding in drawing the jaws tight around the pipe.

10. Pipe tongs comprising an operating handle, a lever and a clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the handle, a second clamping jaw having pivotal connections at one end with the lever, cooperating means on the free ends of the jaws for removably connecting the jaws together around a pipe, a manually operable lever pivoted at one end on the handle and provided with a cam, means on the second jaw and acted on by the cam for causing the jaws to be retained in gripping relation on the pipe When the second lever is oscillated, and means on the second lever for causing rocking of the rst lever for aiding in drawing the jaws tight around the pipe.

11. Pipe tongs comprising an operating handle, a lever and a main clamping jaw having a common pivotal connection with one end of the handle, a second main jaw having a pivotal connection at one end with the lever, articulate means to wrap around an article to be gripped and connecting the free ends of the clamping jaws, manually operable means acting against the lever to move it while drawing the jaws and their articulate connections around the object to be gripped and thus holding them, and yieldable means disposed between said manually operable means and one of said jaws whereby the jaws and their articulate connections may be maintained under gripping tension.

PAUL W. LANGE. HAROLD A. MCFARLAND.

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